How to Protect Your PCB Board?

Dated：2017-08-05 Popularity：1180

On a PCB, a discharge usually originates at the user interface, or at another input. Any activity, like plugging in cables, or pushing buttons, keys, or screens can cause discharge. Also, touching components can cause really bad results, you may lose RF modules on that way. So how to protect your PCB board is really a key issue.

One way about defense for your PCB is to protect the board from any external connections. Since this is how users will most often interact with your product, it deserves serious consideration. Every time someone plugs something in pulls a cable out, or pushes a button, they’re introducing ESD risk to the device.

Then, make sure any and all connectors are attached using a copper land, or pad. You should keep the pad separate from the PCB ground so that any shock at the input isn’t immediately routed to every other component on the board.

Instead of connecting to ground, you should use a transient voltage suppressor at each external connection to protect the board and its sensitive components. Transient voltage suppressor is a small circuit of diodes that blocks most voltage input, but breaks down under high voltage conditions, helping to protect the rest of the PCB.

Also, there are a number of other design practices you should follow: limit trace length, minimize parasitic inductance, reduce circuit loops, and use good grounding practices.